


Who was he?

by Fuckmedaddy



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Anger, Confusion, Crying, Family Bonding, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-20 00:35:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19983136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuckmedaddy/pseuds/Fuckmedaddy
Summary: After his father's death on the infamous July fouth of 1985. Jason Blake Hargrove came along on March 9th 1986. After 13 years of being told light details, his mother hands him the address to his step-aunt's house.





	1. Chapter 1

"He looks just like his father." She said with tears in her eyes. Alyssa chose to move away from Hawkins that day. The sight of the small town was too much to bear. She looked at her soon in the rear-view mirror. "What am I gonna do with you?"

Jason had never known his family outside of his mom's side. He was never content with it either but later knew not to question it.  
"Mama?" Alyssa looked up from her dishes. "What was dad like." He said with excitement, hoping for an answer. His mother shook her head and went back to her dishes. "Not now kid." She muttered.  
Jason felt disappointed. It seemed like a simple question.  
He looked in the mirror. "The only thing I know is that he looks like me." He thought. Other than that, his image of him was a man who left his family. A man he wasn't supposed to speak of. He didn't even know his name.  
There were times that his mother wouldn't even look at him. To her it seemed to painful. She told him that his looks were unsightly.  
He wanted to resent his father for leaving, but he never could. "Why couldn't I look like Mama?"

His mom cried often at night thinking that he was asleep. But even so, Jason heard her through the thin walls.  
What are you supposed to think at six years old when your dad doesn't love you and your mom won't even look at you.

He snuck out of the house often. His mom didn't care too much. "Someday I'll leave and I won't ever look back at that place." He thought. But he could never leave, what would his mom do then? He sat on a log in the woods, watching the frogs in the pond. "I bet they all have nice families," he huffed with jealously. The tears welled up in his eyes, he wiped them and pretended that they didn't exist. "Crying won't change anything." At least that's what his mother had taught him, but she was the one who cried every night. He felt stuck, did anything he said matter to her at all?

He learned something different about himself not long later. He was out walking by himself again, huffing and murmuring as usual.  
"Hey, kid!" A man yelled behind him. He quickly turned around. A stocky police officer looked up and down at him. "Why are you alone? where are your parents?" The police officer walked closer. He shrugged at the man. "Come here, Imma take you to the station." He patted Jason towards the police car. "No." He protested, and held his footing into the dirt. "Come on kid, it's for your safety." The police officer grabbed him by the wrist and started to drag him. "Stop grabbing me!" He screamed, slapping his hand. Suddenly he let go, and turned towards him. A glossy look fell over his eyes. "Awaiting your next orders." He said in a monotone voice.

Jason was confused. "What?" He said. "Awaiting your next orders, Awaiting your next orders, Awaiting your next ord-" Jason didn't hear the rest, he had already started running. "What was that!?" He thought in panic. After he felt that he was far away enough, he stopped to gasp for air. "What is wrong with me?" He clenched his fists. "Why is there always something wrong with me!" He screamed into the air. His cry echoed through the woods, falling back on his ears. He sighed and decided that it was time to go home.

His mother didn't believe anything that he said. "But Mama! It's true! He really said that to me!" He cried. "Right right." She said with irritation. "Making stupid stuff up again, just like your father!" She shook her head. "But Mama, please you gotta believe me! I'm your son!" He pleaded. "Hardly." She coldly stated. "Go on to your room now, I don't need to hear from you until tomorrow." 

Jason whined and stomped up the stairs. He went to his room and slammed the door behind him. He laid down on his bed, and sobbed into his cold pillow uncontrollably. "Why?" He cried. "Why me?" He didn't want this. It wasn't his fault that he was born. But sadly that seemed to be the hand that he was dealt. It wasn't fair, not at all, but finally that night, with his face sunken in his cold pillow, he tried to accept it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a lot of arguing with his mom, Jason finally goes to search for answers to his questions.

Seven long and painful years had passed to 1999. A huge rift had formed between Jason and his mother. He had also polished his mind control skills, he did however wonder where they came from.

Jason had become quite the mischief maker, always getting into scraps and scrapes. Though he wasn't really a bully necessarily. He just had a big mouth and was a bit on the weird side. 

The end of the school day had come. Good old summer break was approaching. Everyone was anxiously packing their bags and getting ready to go. Mr. Robinson however wasn't. "Wait kids. The bell doesn't dismiss you, I do." He said with what he would call "sass". Groans and protests sounded throughout the room. Jason decided that now would be the perfect time for a little bit of mind control. He made awkward eye contact with Mr. Robinson, who cringed. His eyes glossed over, just like the first time. Jason snickered. "Pee your pants." He thought. Instantly a wet stain formed on the teacher's neat brown dress pants.  
Jason held back his snickers. The rest of the students gasped and laughed. "Wake up." He thought.

Mr. Robinson's eyes returned to normal. He looked at himself and then at the class. His face turned as red as a tomato and he ran out of the class. The students cheered and grabbed their things, running for the door. Either carefully avoiding the yellow puddle or shoving other people towards it.  
"Ha ha, I'm damn good at this." Jason laughed as he left.

He walked slowly home, he didn't really want to go back, but his favorite cafe wasn't open, nor was the pizza place or arcade. Which was stupid, they probably would've profited off of all the kids getting out of school. "Amateurs." He mumbled, kicking a rock. Soon his house was in views. He sighed in a way that made his lips ripple, and trudged towards his "home."

When he got there, he saw his mom and a bunch of "manly men" loading their things into a a truck and her car. "Alyssa! What's going on?" He said. She paused with a look of panic in her face. "Um. I got a new job in um Hawkins." She uttered out shakily. "So that's it? You ain't tell me anything and now you're just packing up and leaving!" He said angrily.

The movers looked at each other and the scene before them and wondered if they should interfere. Alyssa sighed. "In short, yes, I suppose." She scratched her scalp anxiously. Jason scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever Alyssa. Is there anything left to pack?" He said irritably. "No, just bring the stuff in your room out." She muttered. Jason huffed and went up to his room. "Teenagers am I right?" One of the movers tried to joke. Alyssa shook her head, and the mover walked away feeling embarrassed.

A few hours later, they were on the road. Jason chose to sit in the back. "Look man. I know it's rough, but hey Hawkins hasess deaths these days." Alyssa tried to coax him out of his mood. "Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden." Jason snapped. "Look I-"  
"Don't you dare "look I" me Alyssa!" Alyssa was stunned  
"You were never a mother to me, so stop trying to act like one! You're thirteen years too late bitch!"  
Alyssa nodded with tears in her eyes and stopped talking. The two rode in silence for the rest of the drive.

Upon arriving Hawkins just looked like an old dingy town to Jason. "What a shithole." He thought. Alyssa pulled into a driveway of a small house. It looked kinda nice, but may need repairs.  
Jason took his things to a random room because he knew Alyssa would flip if he chose the master. This one was almost as big anyway.  
"Just head on to bed." Alyssa handed him some blanket as a temporary bed. He looked her coldly and then promptly closed his door.

He laid down in his uncomfortable "bed" of blankets. For some reason this felt like when he was little all over again.

He had been awake for a while and was eating some dry cereal and reading a comic. He wasn't truly interested in either, but most of his other things weren't unpacked and he needed something to do.

After a few minutes he heard a creak sound from his door. Alyssa stepped in. "Do you have a minute?" She asked him. "I'm bored as hell, so I got plently." He muttered. Alyssa nodded and sat down beside him on his makeshift bed. "I know that I've never been a true mother to you, and I don't blame you of you hate me. I know that I'm difficult and I thought I had enough time to-" Jason cut her off by clearing his throat. "Yeah, um is there a point to this, or are you just rambling?" He said to her. She nodded, "Alright. I didn't know your father for very long, and it wasn't until he died that I realized that I loved him. When you came along it felt like a remnant of the past had come back to haunt me, but it wasn't fair to leave you alone." She said.

Jason stared at her in silence. Alyssa sighed and dug a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Anyway I wanted to give you this." He looked at the paper. "A random address?" He questioned. Alyssa shook her head. "Not random, but it's the address of your aunt, or rather his step sister. She'll be able to explain far more than I ever could." She said. "I have an aunt?" He exclaimed in surprise. "Wha- Why didn't you ever tell me?" He asked. "Well I'm telling you know. If you want you can go find her, but I won't make you." She told him. She got up and left his room.

Jason went out the back door and followed the paper looking for the address. "How did she even get this?" He thought. "Does my "Aunt" even know that I exist."

He stopped in her driveway, looking at her grey house. "This is it." He murmured, mustering up the courage to walk up to her door. With hesitation he rang the doorbell. He paused and waited, hearing footsteps from inside the house. Then the door opened. A woman with firey red hair and blew eyes looked up at him. "Who are you and what do you want?" She asked with a sharp tongue. Jason took a deep breath. 

"My name is Jason Hargrove and I guess, I'm your nephew."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason finally meets Max, and she tells him a few things about Billy.

"Um, you're my who to the what now?" She questioned him. She looked utterly shocked and confused. Jason broke out into a blush and cold sweat. "I mean technically step aunt since we're not biologically related, but um yeah, I'm your nephew." He said awkwardly.

"Your name?" She asked. "Jason Hargrove." He said. "Max Mayfield." She told him stoically. 

She paused and looked him up and down. "How old are you kid?" She asked him. "Thirteen ma'am." He said shakily. She frowned. "Possible." She opened her door further open. "Whellp you can come in, don't mess with anything though." She muttered, walking ahead of him.  
Jason hesitated, but decided to walk behind her. She was seated at a coffee table, she pointed to the seat across from hers. "Sit." And he sat. "You want a drink or anything?" Jason nodded. "Um, what do you have?" She chuckled and rolled her eyes. She got up to the fridge and slide him a can of coke.   
"I'm honestly surprised that there aren't more of you." She said. "Huh, why?" Jason asked cluelessly. "Well my brother was never really careful." She said with a shrug. "Oh. My Mama always said she was reckless. Though only when she felt I was doing something wrong." He muttered. Max nodded. "What do you know about him?" She asked. "Nothing much. Mama doesn't like to talk about it, so I just kinda assumed he left us." He said nervously. She sighed. "Do you know where he is?" Max shook her head. "The thing is Jason, he died about fourteen years ago, before you were born." She said. "Oh."

Jason felt crushed. He always wanted to meet his dad. Maybe even give him a piece of his mind. Another vision had hung in the background too. "I always thought when I was old enough, I could take him back to my mom. And we'd be a family... I guess that won't happen." He said. A tear rolled down his cheek. "Sorry buddy." Max said, not quite knowing how to console him. "Who is your mother anyway?" She asked him. "Alyssa Davison."  
Max thought for a moment. "That name does ring a bell. He was always going to her place after midnight or some mess. She moved away soon after he died though."   
Jason nodded.  
"Well she moved us back, gave me your address and now I'm here." He explained. "So I assume you want to know more about him." Jason nodded. "Mama didn't even tell me his name." 

Max chuckled. "Hold on kid, I'll get the pictures."

A few minutes later she returned. "Anyway. Your dad's name was Billy Hargrove, he LOVED taking pictures, he was handsome too"  
She opened a photo album. There were pictures of him grinning as a little kid. He looked really happy. Until a certain point, he stopped smiled and either smirked, looked blank, or super pissed.

"As a matter of fact you do look like him, just with neater hair." Max chuckled. Jason nodded. He was immersed in the pictures. Knowing that he'd never meet him, he savoured the moment. "Max, what was he like?"

Max let out a deep sigh. "He was angry all the time and pretty smug. He could have turned out better, but his dad was terrible to him. His mom left and never came back." She said. Jason felt a little disappointed but not very surprised. "Was he mean to you?" He asked. Max nodded. "Very, but he did love me. Anger was just kind of his default." She told him.

He looked at more pictures, Max was in a couple and he didn't seem to like sharing. Suddenly the album ended. "How did he die?" Max clenched her jaw. Remembering the horrors she and her friends faced. "That's a story for another day and It's a long one. You can come back next week though. I should have it all by then." She murmured. "Okay."

Jason left shortly after, taking a photo of Billy with him. He was a bit disappointed, but at least she was telling him more than his mother ever did. And once again he trudged home, more satisfied than he had been all his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Max sat in her living room beside Lucas. They were watching a tv show, but she could hardly pay attention. "I can't help but feel worried for that kid." She murmured. Lucas didn't say anything for a moment.  
"I'm sure he'll be fine." He answered simply.   
Max sat up. "And what if he isn't. What if I crushed him, what if the rest of Billy's story crushes him. What if-" Lucas stopped her. "Since when have you worried about the "what if's"?" He said with a chuckle. "If he wants to know more just tell him. Unless you're, you know chicken." He laughed and made clucking noises. Max rolled her eyes at his behavior. "Are you doubting me stalker?" Lucas shook his head, "Never. I took your last name didn't I?" They stayed on the couch for a few hours, until they realized it was midnight. "Let's get some sleep. We've got a lot of planning to do." Lucas said.

Jason waited impatiently for the week to pass. "Max invited you back?" His mom asked. "Yeah, but she said next week. I just want to know more." He told her. "Well she said to wait, surely it's a lot for her. A lot of crazy shit happened in Hawkins before you were born." She explained. "Yeah, but I wish I didn't have to wait, but hey I've been waiting for over a decade, what's one more week." His mom chuckled. "Right."

Max had called up everyone involved. "So you're telling me, you need everyone to get the whole story?" Steve said. "Yep." Steve sighed, "Fine."

"Sure, but Regina will kill me if I'm gone for more than three days." Robin said. "Oh right, I forgot how big of a worrier she is." Max chuckled. "Yeah, but she keeps me in line."

"I'll go, but it'll take a lot of convincing to get Mike to come." El told her. "Fine with me. Do what you can.

"I was planning on catching up on my beauty sleep this week though. The kids are gone and my schedule was cleared until you called, sis." Erica protested. "But-" "uh-uh, don't interrupt me. I guess my side of the story is valuable, but he better listen." She said. "Don't worry he's good at that." Max said. "Whellp see you soon, and remind that butthead brother of mine that he still owes me twenty-five bucks." 

"Roger that."

After convincing people to come. Lucas and Max got the house ready. "No way Erica will step foot in if she sees that chocolate pudding stain on the wall." Lucas joked. Olivia was going to stay with her grandparents during that time. "But mommy why do I have to go? Grandma's house smells funny." Olivia whined. "Well, you're dad and I have something important to do, but after that, you can spend all the time you want with us." Olivia nodded. "Fine, but can I have some chocolate now?" Max shook her head. "You just had some." Olivia frowned and walked back to her room.

"Hopefully this all goes well." Max said. "It'll be fine, let's just hope he doesn't think that we're insane." Lucas said with a shrug.


	5. Chapter 5

"So basically you're saying that we ask the kid which story he wants, long or short, which neither of them are really short by the way, and then we just tell him?" Mike said with confusion and irritation. 

"Um yeah, that's pretty much the plan." Max stated. Mike let out a deep sigh. "And what of he thinks that we're insane?" Mike said. Lucas shrugged. "Then we're insane I guess." Mike shook his head. "If he does let's just hope it doesn't become a huge problem." Will said nervously. These days he had a nervous habit of rubbing his neck, even though the mind flayer wasn't there anymore. 

Finally through the tension, the doorbell sounded. "That must be him." Max said and she got up to go the door.

"Hi, Max." Jason said. "Hey kid, come on in." She said casually. They walked into the den. Jason came to an abrupt stop in surprise when he saw a full room of people. "Come on, they don't bite, plus Dustin would have a hard time with that."

"Hey!" Dustin said looking offended.

Jason nodded and sat in a chair. "So why are you all here?" He asked them. "They all have involvement in the story." Max told him. Jason's Eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "You guys didn't all take him out did you?" He said nervously. 

"Oh god no!"  
"Seriously man!"  
"Well I never!"  
"Ugh"  
"Why would we tell you that?"  
"Nah."

The series of protests ran out. "Okay, sorry." He said, slinking back into the chair with embarrassment.

"But the story leading up to Billy's death is a very long one, and it's crazy." Mike stated. "So do you want the long or short version?" He asked. Jason thought for a moment. "Well I want to know, so I want the long one."

As the story went on, and people introduced themselves, Jason only heard bits and pieces. "So what about my dad?" He kept asking. "We just told you it's a long story!" Dustin finally yelled, getting him to finally shut up!

It felt unreal, so strange and yet it seemed to make everything come together for him. "So now most of the time we deal with threats every now and then, like demodogs slipping through the dimensional cracks of our world and the upside down." Dustin explained at last.

They all waited for Jason to answer, but he just sat looking down at his palms. "Uh oh, I think we broke they boy." Erica said. "So this is where my powers come from? The Mind Flayer." He said in nearly a whisper. 

"Um excuse me powers?" Steve said. Nancy and Jonathan looked interested as did everyone else. "I can control minds." He stated. 

"Wait seriously!?" Will squeaked, rubbing his neck. "He must have been concieved when Billy was under control of the mind flayer then, but how did that happen?" El said. 

"Just show us." Mike grumbled. Jason looked over and made eye contact with Mike. Briefly his eyes turned a bright blue and he looked the wind had beem knocked out of him. Jason didn't blink and kept his focus. 

"I Am Stupid. I have no ass." He made Mike say. Almost breaking his concentration with laughter. Everyone around him looked surprised. He dropped control over Mike, who breathed in hard like he had been holding his breath under water. 

"So how does it work?" Mike uttered breathlessy. "I don't always have to make eye contact, I just have to see the head clearly, but it's easiest through the eyes. I can control pretty freely, but it's harder to do it on non human things." He said. "It also makes me a bit dizzy, but not for long. And uses a thirty second cool down period."

He had all eyes on him now, El squinted at him. "You could be great with missions. How long have you known?" She asked. "Since I was like, Six." He said. 

"Guys, I think maybe he could go with us." Will said. 

"What do you mean?" Jason asked with confusion. The rest of the adults nodded in agreement with Will.


	6. Chapter 6

Soon after Jason was riding in a van letting the wind blow through his hair. "Don't stick your head so far out the window, it's dangerous." Jonathan said.  
Max was driving and he was seated beside Dustin. "Gum?" Dustin offered. Jason nodded and took it. "So what Kind of mission is this?" Jason asked.

"Not much of a mission really." Max said. "We're patrolling for now, checking for any tears." She said.

"Tears?" Dustin nodded. "Well after all our efforts, tears between our world and the Upside down open often, they're very dangerous and so are the creatures that come out of them." He said. "Like the Demodogs?" Jason asked. "Yeah, just like the Demodogs."

They stopped on the edge of the woods. Max shut off the car and got out, soon everyone else followed. Including a curious and confused Jason. "In this forest a recent sighting of a Demodog occurred. The others are looking on the other side of the forest." Max explained. Jason realized that Nancy, Mike, Steve, Robin, Will and El weren't there. "For now Jason, Stay close and in the middle of the group, you'll know if we need you." Max told him. "Okay."

For thirty minutes they had trudged through the woods. "I'm surprised you're keeping up." Erica said. "Yeah, well I did walk to other places a lot. I guess that's paying off for now." Jason explained. Erica nodded. 

Soon they came across a small red and glowing opening in the ground appeared. The trees around it were rotting or had already fallen over. "It's here." Max said. The group stayed on guard, circling around Jason and looking in all directions, weapons at the ready. 

Rustling was heard in the bushes. The group tensed, Jason felt like everyone around him was stifly holding their breath. Finally a chittering squirrel jumped out. The tension lowered. Then more animals came running past. 

Finally the disgusting creature showed itself. It was truly dog like other than it's corpse like red and green skin, and flower shaped head. "A demodog." Jason thought to himself. It's head opened up and a screech sounded through the woods. The adults all shot at it. It successfully dodged, drooling and screeching angrily. It spotted Jason and ran towards him. Jason started to freeze, when he remembered somthing. He looked at it, his eyes turning a frost blue. The creatures head frosted over and it stopped in it's tracks. "Shoot." Jason nearly ordered. They shot, and it quickly went down dying in the grass.

"Well, that was something." Erica said. Jason stared at his hands, looking slightly panicked. "Hey, Kid are you okay?" Max said, getting the attention of everyone else.

The others ran towards them. "Guys we defeated two in the woods and-" Steve stopped in his tracks looking at the scene. "Do you have a headache or something?" Lucas asked. Jason shook his head, "No not at all, nothing. But controlling that thing was easier than any human I've controlled." Jason answered in worry.

"I think it might really be the power of the Mind Flayer." Will said in awe. Max looked at her nephew in worry. "Don't worry it's fine, it was a big help." She told him. "Thanks I guess." Jason said blankly. "I don't get a reaction from him though." Will said. Though after that the speech of everyone else faded out. Jason stood there trapped in his own thoughts. Was he really human? Was he dangerous? Is the Mind Flayer his dad? What was he supposed to do about that?  
He had never felt so confused since he had first used them.


	7. Chapter 7

Jason couldn't sleep. He laid down in his bed awake, staring above him in the darkness of his bedroom. He had tiny fleeting thoughts that he couldn't keep track of. He wandered and wondered in his own little world that was suddenly expanding. At last the boy fell roughly asleep.

A beach appeared before him. A boy and his mother in a beautiful white dress were there. He was talking about the waves. Jason was confused, what kind of dream was this?   
The boy turned to him, staring him right in the eyes. The beach broke under them, the mother crackled and turned into the sand that was falling below. The scene was fully black now. Jason and the boy stared at each other saying nothing. The boy reached out to him. "Ja-son Har-grove..." He uttered slowly.

Jason felt a huge surge of fear. Finally the boy broke and squealched turning into a runny goopy red and black goop. He built up again. A giant red and black creature with so many legs that Jason was too scared to count. The creature roared, setting Jason's hear off and he opened his eyes.

He felt a cold sweat all over him, but he wasn't hot at all, he felt very cold in fact. He gulped and looked out of the window. It was morning and the birds chirped lightly.

Jason jumped out of bed and pulled some clothes on. Alyssa was in the kitchen making breakfast. 

"Sorry mom I gotta go!"

"Wait Jason do you want some-"

The door slammed and Jason was gone. Alyssa stood there looking confused and holding a plate of "eggs?"  
She shrugged. "More for me then, I guess." She murmured.

Jason ran as fast as his body could take him across town. Passing cars, houses, the arcade, and plenty of confused looking people. He ran back to Max's house. Maybe she could explain. He knocked loudly on the door, scraping his knuckles. Lucas answered it. "It's 9 in the morning why are you knocking so loud?" He asked groggily. Olivia stood curiously behind her father. Jason took notice of her. He beckoned for Lucas to come closer. "I think I saw the Mind Flayer." He whispered. Lucas's eyes opened wide and he sent Olivia away.

"What the hell do you mean?" He asked with concern. "I mean it was in a dream, but it didn't really seem like just that." He said. Lucas called El over to ask what he meant and while he waited he sat on the couch, hoping that dream was invalid.

"So Jason, tell me what you saw." El said firmly.


End file.
